Lamb Bulgogi with Asian Pear Dipping Sauce

Bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) is a traditional Korean dish. Here, lamb stands in for the steak. The meat is served with lettuce leaves and other veggies, hot pepper paste, and a slightly sweet dipping sauce. Guests use all of the ingredients to assemble their own lettuce wraps, which is a common practice in Korean restaurants. Timing note: The lamb needs to marinate for at least four hours.

Ingredient info: Mirin is sold in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Japanese markets. Kochujang is a spicy red paste made with pureed fermented soybeans (miso) and hot chiles. It's available at Korean markets and online from koamart.com. If you can't find Kochujang, substitute 1/3 cup miso mixed with 2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce.

Test-Kitchen tip: Ask your butcher to bone, butterfly, and trim the leg of lamb for you. Save the bone, pop it in the freezer, and use it to make soup or stock.

Remove lamb from marinade and place on prepared grill with some marinade still clinging to surface (discard marinade in dish). Grill lamb until meat is cooked to desired doneness, about 15 to 20 minutes per side for medium (if lamb begins to burn, slide large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil underneath and continue to grill). Transfer lamb to work surface and let rest 10 minutes.

While lamb rests, grill jalapeños, garlic, and trimmed green onions until slightly charred and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface.

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Reviews

So delicious! Quite a bit of work but worth it! I substituted pork tenderloin for the lamb and it worked perfectly. I also served with white rice that could be added to the lettuce roll as well. I may also try next time turning it into a bowl with rice on the bottom and then layered. Can't wait to have again!

I made this recipe for my Taiwanese boyfriend and his siblings who just came into town. They all raved about the dish going back for more! There was a fight over the small amount of leftovers the next day. Although the meat isn't really a bulgogi so much as a roast, the flavor was exceptional. The dipping sauce was really yummy and went very well with the lamb as well as a pork dish that I made the next day!
We served over white rice (of course) with all the typical Korean condiments sans kimchi because I really didn't want my house to stink.
I highly recommend trying out this recipe. You won't be disappointed with the succulent meat and delicious flavors!

Agreed, this recipe is a total
winner. Wonderful contrast of
flavors between the marinade and the
dipping sauce. Next time I'd get two
heads of butter lettuce; we burned
through the first head quickly with
lots of lamb and veggies left over.
Fun to prepare, and a true crowd-
pleaser!

Great recipe! My husband loved it.
My family makes beef bulgogi all the
time, so I was excited to try
something a little different. It
has a perfect amount of sweet and
saltiness. Never used mirin before,
but it definitely adds to the
flavor. The dipping sauce was to
die for! Added a tiny bit more pear
for the extra fruitiness. Other
than that, wouldn't change a thing
with the sauce. The lamb marinade
would also taste good with thinly
sliced beef.